William mason



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

w. MASON; v MEANS FOR SBPARABLY ATTAGHING GUN BARRELS TO THE STOCKS.

No. 487,488 Patented Dec. 6, 1892.

g I i WW m1 I V "N I (No Model.) I 2 Sheets Sl1eet 2;,

W. MASON. MEANS FORSBPARABLY ATTAGHING GUN BARRELS TO THE STOCK? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM MASON, OF NElV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE \VINCIIESTER REPEATING ARMS COMPANY, OF..SAME PLACE.

MEANS FOR SEPARABLY ATTACHING GUN-BARRELS TOZTHE STOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,488, dated December 6, 1892. Application filed April 4,1892. Serial No. 427,620. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, \VILLIAH MASON, of N e'w Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Firearms, (Case 0;) and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanyingdrawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent in- Figure 1, a side view of so much of the arm as necessary to the illustration of the invention; Fig. 2, a top view showing the connection of the two parts of the receiver; Fig. 3, an under side view of the same, illustrating the lever for locking the two parts together; Fig. 4, a front end view of. the receiver with the forward part of the receiver removed; Fig. 5, a rear View of the forward part of the receiver detached; Fig. 6, a side view of the forward partof the receiver detached; Fig. 7, a vertical section through the rear portion of the receiver, showing the groove at the forward end; Fig. 8, a top view of the forward portion of the receiver detached; Fig. 9, a top view of the rear portion of the receiver, showing the forward portion removed.

This invention relates to an improvement in firearms, having for its object to provide a simple and effective means for separating the barrel portion from the stock portion of the arm, so as to readily contract the length of the arm for the purpose of packing or transportation; and it consists in the construction as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

A represents the rear portion of the receiver, which is provided with the usual tangs B, or means for attaching that portion of the receiver to the stock.

C represents the forward portion of the receiver, to which the barrel D is attached, the barrel opening at the rear into the receiver, as usual, and, as here represented, a magazine E is arranged beneath the barrel, also opening through the portion 0 into the receiver for the transfer of cartridges in the usual manner.

Instead of making the receiverasinglepieoe from the forward end to the rear, and screwing the barrel directly through the forward end of the receiver, the forward part 0 of the receiver is made separable from the rear portion. The rear portion A carries the two sidesF of the receiver, the forward portion 0 of the receiver being adapted to sit in between the forward end of the two sides F F, as seen in Fig. 2. The forward portion 0 of the receiver maybe made as a part of the barrel D, as represented in Figs. 6 and 8. The part 0 on its two sides is constructed with vertical undercut or dovetail ribs G, (see Figs. 6 and 8,) and so as to form a vertical shoulder H forward of the undercut or dovetail ribs G.

The inner surface of the two sides F F are constructed with vertical recesses I, (see Figs. 7 and 9,) corresponding to the dovetail or undercut ribs G of the forward part of the receiver, and so that the forward part of the receiver may be set into the other part of the receiver from the upper side, theribs G passing down into the corresponding recesses I, as seen in Fig. 2, and, preferably, the ribs and recesses are made tapering, so that the ribs may operate as a wedge, tending, as the forward part of the receiver passes down into the other part of the receiver, to draw that forward part ofthe receiver rearward and bring the shoulders H to a firm bearing against the sides of the receiver, as seen in Fig. 2. The sides of the receiver are connected across the bottom at their forward end, as seen in Fig. 5, the recess opening only at the top.

Upon the under side of the part 0 of the receiver a locking-lever J is hung upon a pivot K, so as to swing in a horizontal plane. (See Figs. 1 and 3.) This lover extends forward to form a handle and upon the rear side of the hub it is constructed with a horizontal cam L. The forward surface of the receiver below the opening into which the forward part 0 sets is constructed with a groove M, (see Fig. 4,) which corresponds to the nose L of the lever J. The nose L and the groove M are of a shape to operate together as a cam, so that upon turning the lever to bring the nose L into the groove M, as represented in Figs. 1 and 3, the tendency will be to draw the two parts to their home position, and to also securely lock the two parts together in ICO that position, as seen in Fig. 1. The nose L is constructed as a rib on the hub of the receiver, and so that the lever, turned to one side, as represented in broken lines, Fig. 3, will withdraw the nose entirely from the re ceiver, and so that the two parts are free to separate. The cam-shape of the nose L of the lever and of the groove M, while servin to draw the two parts together, as described, also serves to startthe parts from each other, so as to facilitate their separation.

"While preferring the lever described for drawing the 'two parts together-and securing them in their home position, other locking devices between the t wo parts may beemployedas, for illustration, a screw may be-inserted through the sides F into the part 0, as represented in broken lines, Figs. 1 and 2. By this construction the barrel and the magazine t'if there be one) are made readily detachable from the rear or stock portion of the arm, so that without the employment of other instrument than that carried by the arm itself the barrel and stock portions of the arm may be detached.

"While preferring to construct the ver tica ribs in the one part and the recesses in the other part of dovetail or undercut shape, whereby the two sides of the receiver will be interlocked with the forward part, such under-cut is not essential to the invention, as the under-cut maybe omitted, as represented in broken lines, Fig. 2. Again, while preferring the shoulders H to take a bearing against the forward ends of the two sides of the receiver, as greatly strengthening the connection between the two parts, those shoulders may be omitted.

I claim-- 11. The herein-described improvement in firearms, consisting in a receiver made in two parts, the rear part adapted for attachment to the stock and carrying the two sides of the receiver, the two sides extending forward, open at the top and constructed with undercut vertical recesses upon their inside, and near their forward end the other portion of the receiver carrying the barrel and constructed with vertical undercut ribs corresponding to the said vertical recesses between the two sides and so as to set therein, with a locking device between the two parts, whereby they may be detachably secured together, substantially as described. 7

2. In a firearm, the combination of a receiver made in two parts, the rear portion adapted for attachment to the stock and carrying the two sides, which two sides extend forward and open from the top downward, the sides upon their inside and near the forward end constructed with vertical recesses, the other portion of the receiver carrying the barrel and adapted to sit between the two sides to form the forward end of the receiver, the said barrel portion of the receiver constructed with vertical ribs upon its two sides corresponding to the said vertical recesses in the receiver and so as to sit therein, a lever hung upon the underside of one part and so as to swing in a horizontal plane, said lever constructed with a cam upon one side of its hub, the other part constructed with a groove corresponding to said cam on the lever and with which the said cam is adapted to engage,substantially as described.

3. A receiver for firearms,constructed in two parts, the rear part adapted for attachment to the stock and carrying the two sides of the receiver, the said sides extending forward and open through the top, the forward end constructed with vertical grooves upon the inside, the forward part of the receiver carrying the barrel adapted to sit between the forward end of the two sides, and the said forward part of the receiver constructed with ribs corresponding to said grooves, and the forward part of the receiver, also constructed with vertical shoulders upon its sides, adapted to bear against the forward end of the two sides of the receiver, the said ribs and grooves made of wedging shape, whereby the passage of the ribs intothe grooves tends to draw the two parts longitudinally together, and so as to bring the said shoulders to their hearing against the forward ends of the sides of the receiver, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribwitnesses.

\VILLIAM MASON.

Witnesses: Y DANIEL H. VEADER, A. W. EARLE. 

